Four Friends

Joel Richards

Single Topic • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Transcript

Read the story— Mark 2:1-12

I’m sure you know the story that I’m about to read this morning.

Take a breath and hear this story for the first time.

Who would you be in the story?

How would you react; to the roof scene, to Jesus statements, to the Scribes?

What bothers you about this story?

What do you need to learn? Apply

Essentially there are three components to our story.

There is the scene of the four friends

There is Jesus and his encounter with the paralytic and his subsequent healing.

Lastly, there is the confrontation with the Scribes

Let’s begin with Jesus.

His ministry has begun, and from Mark’s record, he has just healed a leper. In spite of the fact that Jesus told the leper to keep this miracle quiet he told everyone. So now Jesus has to deal with large crowds.

Jesus is speaking. And then, he notices that people are being distracted.

Initially, this is like a baby crying in a service or someone’s cell phone ringing.

But it doesn’t stop. It gets severe.

Alphabet Suzy. She snuck into the pulpit.

A paralytic man is now before Jesus.

Silence. What is Jesus going to do?

We may be startled by the first words uttered by Jesus as the man finally get lowered into the room.

"My son, your sins are forgiven you."

You go to a counselor for help — say with a marital problem, or a financial struggle — and the first words out of his mouth are, "You really need to deal with your sin."

Why?

We shouldn't ignore the fact that:

There is a connection between our fallen condition and everything that afflicts us

The condition is treated as a result of sin in this account

The Bible treats sickness as having a direct correlation to sin or some evil power

But, we know that it also treats sickness as having nothing to do with sin.

Jn 9 — who sinned this man or his parents

And of course . . there is Job

So which is it here?

LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY WONDERED IF SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE WAS SOMEHOW RELATED TO SIN?

This man may have wondered that all is life. If that were true these would be words of comfort.

Additionally, in the realm of the kingdom of God — total health is much more that merely the physical.

Isaiah 33:22–24 (NIV)

22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.

24 No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

Exodus 15:2 - Exodus 15:26 (NIV)

26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

Jesus came to announce what the future will look like – His plan is ofr complete wholeness; true Shalom

He came to demonstrate being empowered by the Spirit having the very authority of God

Take up your bed and walk. Total healing, both spiritual and physical.

This is a proclamation of who Jesus really is and what he has come to do, in its entirety. And of course, the Scribes question that.

Imagine how this man would have left this place!

Acts 3:6–9 (NIV) 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God

Walking and leaping and praising God . . . EXCEPT, THE SCRIBES!

Scene two — the Scribes Spiritual giants

Note vs 6 — they were sitting there (they had put their bulleting or Bible in their pew so they would get a good seat!

Place of prominence (they loved to be seen by men as truly righteous)

They were on time — anything wrong with that. No. That is if you don't become rigid or ritualistic. They were always in their pew!

Their thinking, as revealed by Jesus simply tells us what we already know. They were NOT there to learn. They appear 11 times in Mark and every time they play the role of opposition.

Let's make sure he dots the "I" and crosses the "t".

Let me ask a question. Did they bring anyone to Jesus? Did they even know anyone they could bring to Jesus.

(Leper — Paralytic — Tax Collector) All marginalized

Were they concerned about this man and his condition? Were they excited he was healed? Even if they hadn't brought anyone they could at least be excited for those who did!

Remember the first words of Jesus to the man — your sins are forgiven.

THEY MAY HAVE KNOWN THE LAW BACKWARDS AND FORWARD BUT THEY DID NOT KNOW THE HEART OF GOD!

Some times our hearts just get harder with all our head knowledge.

John Orttberg – Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them

I grew up in circles where many people thought they were becoming more spiritual because they attended man church services ir watched many preachers on TV or memorized many Bible verses. But their hearts for people – especially ro people far from God, for the lost, for the searching, for people with bad habits – in the tradition I grew up that was smokers and drinkers, swearers and Democrats – their hearts toward these people got a little harder and closed and more judgmental year after year. What is bad is not that this happened, but that these people thought they were growing spiritual.

Scene 3

The four men. . .

Consider the contrast. Jesus saw their faith! (Persistent, creative, sacrificial)

No MRI's. No running water. NO hospital bed. NO electric recliner. No lift gate for his camel. No depends. No pain killers.

What a really cool small group this guy belonged to. It wasn't by accident!

These were true friends.

Who are your true friends? Who would call you a true friend?

You can't be a mat carrier for everybody. In great communities though we carry each other's mats.

BTVV — we all have a mat we live on or with.

Fear

Struggle

Illness

Terrible secret we carry

Current sin that is weighing you down

We need others to help us crash through the roof.

Understand that in community we are forced to deal with sins and weaknesses.

One of Dostoyevsky's characters in one of his novels said, "I dream I am very passionately determined to serve humanity. Yet, I am incapable of living in one room for two days with someone else — and I know that by experience!"

A TRUE FRIEND DESIRES MUCH MORE FOR YOU THAN THE SUPERFICIAL FIXES AVAILABLE IN THE WORLD.

Noticing

Then doing

Marks' description fleshes out this way:

There is Jesus

The Scribes are pushing in toward him as he teaches

The 4 men and their friend push into him as well during the middle of Jesus teaching.